The role, significance and impact of supply chain management in the FMCG sector
11 pages
published 06/17/2009
 
 
section Table of Contents
 
 
  1. What is FMCG?
  2. Distinguishing characteristics of the industry
    1. Low capital intensity
    2. High initial launch cost
    3. Technology
    4. Marketing drive
    5. Market research
    6. Balance sheets are misleading
    7. Third-party manufacturing
    8. Significant presence of unorganised sector
  3. Trends
    1. Global concentration
    2. Growth in the third world
    3. Value for money
    4. Adapting to local conditions
    5. Packaging
    6. Evolving strategies for supply chain markets
    7. Macro trends
    8. Understand the end customer's buying process
  4. Restructure the economics of your channel partners
  5. Lead from the top
  6. Changing face
    1. Distribution channels and network
  7. Disintermediation myth
  8. The economics of distribution and the transition
  9. Transition from push to pull environment
  10. Pull method
  11. Bibliography
 
 
section Summary
 
 
FMCG refers to consumer non-durable goods required for daily or frequent use. Typically, a consumer buys these goods at least once a month. The sector covers a wide gamut of products such as detergents, toilet soaps, toothpaste, shampoos, creams, powders, food products, confectioneries, beverages, and cigarettes.

Most product categories in FMCG require relatively minor investment in plant and machinery and other fixed assets. Therefore shortage of product for want of capacity would be a rare phenomenon. The turnover is typically five to eight times the investment made in a Greenfield plant at full capacity. This is also due to the fact that the business being marketing driven, players do not integrate backward. Also, the business has low working capital intensity as bulk of sales from manufacturers takes place on a cash basis.

Nonetheless, there is a large front-ended investment made in new products including cost of product development, market research, test marketing and most importantly its launch. To create awareness and develop franchise for a new brand requires enormous initial expenditure on launch advertisements, free samples and product promotions. Launch costs are as high as 50-100% of revenue in the first year and these costs progressively reduce as the brand matures, gains consumer acceptance and turnover rises. For established brands, advertisement expenditure varies from 5 - 12% depending on the categories. It is common to give occasional push by re-launches, which involves repositioning of brands with sizable marketing support.
 
 
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